


the one that got away

by sunset_oasis



Series: Innocent Before Yesterday [17]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Angst, M/M, Three Kingdoms AU, Unhappy Ending, aka my favorite era in Chinese history lol, and highly self-indulgent, v historically inaccurate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 21:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11517807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunset_oasis/pseuds/sunset_oasis
Summary: "Perhaps, some things just aren't mean to be," Blaise stared at some faraway point in the dark night, his voice quiet."Perhaps, some people just didn't fight for them hard enough," Nott countered smoothly."Perhaps they couldn't," Blaise said, overly sharp."Perhaps they couldn't," Nott conceded. He echoed his earlier words in a lower tone, a rare show of emotion flickering through his eyes that Blaise didn't catch, "I wish we'd met under better circumstances."[ALTERNATIVELY -- The Three Kingdoms thlaise AU that literally nobody asked for.]





	the one that got away

**Author's Note:**

> so, this is probably part HP fanfic but in some way also a 3 Kingdoms fanfic?? maybe??  
> anyway, i own neither.
> 
> also like this is very self indulging and just ... completely written for myself lol.
> 
> title inspiration from Katy Perry.

 

After Grindelwald had fallen, everything seemed to have become a bloody mess. Wars and battles raged on everywhere, and different people were all fighting for the rightful rulership. One of the powers that had risen was Tom Riddle, who claimed to be supporting Igor Karkaroff, descendant of Grindelwald's second cousin, for throne. Of course, the smarter half of the people all realized that Karkaroff was really just Riddle's puppet. Not that they could do much about this, though.

Meanwhile, the Malfoys were also another rising power from the Southeastern parts. Draco Malfoy, the heir to the ancient Malfoy house and also Blaise's childhood best friend he'd grown up with, had gained considerable popularity from the nearby areas and was quickly growing to be one of the major concerns of Tom Riddle.

And then there was Harry Potter. Who had, in Blaise's opinion, literally just appeared out of nowhere, claiming something about the Peverell heritage, which somehow supposedly made him a more rightful ruler or whatever. It made Blaise want to roll his eyes. Heritage didn't really matter that much unless you got the power and the support to fight for the throne. And all Potter got was some loyalty from a merry band of miscreants, most famously Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger who claimed to be siblings in anything but blood with him or whatever. Frankly, not exactly an opponent worthy of worrying about – unless you count the latest advisor Potter acquired last year, Theodore Nott.

Which, for some reason, Blaise didn't want to. At all.

 

* * *

 

Blaise had always been a good strategist, and also excelled in dueling and war-planning, and he knew it himself. There was a reason why Draco trusted his plans so much, after all. He'd played an important role to Draco's uprising as well. Maybe, in time, he could help Draco defeat Riddle, too.

Blaise had always taken pride in his intelligence and cleverness. And it might sound more than a little arrogant, but he truly thought that he was probably one of the smartest in this era.

Perhaps he wasn't wrong.

He just wasn't the  _only_  one.

 

* * *

 

Pansy brought up the topic of Potter's new adviser, Theodore Nott, after she came back from a visit to Potter's. (Pansy had a weird kind of friendship with one of Potter's closest friends, Hermione Granger, even if neither of them would ever admit they were friends.)

"He's super sharp and observant," she commented, "and had a very clear view on the current battleground and politics."

"Does he now?" Blaise drawled, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Perhaps even with a clearer view than you do," she replied, studying his expression.

Blaise just scoffed.

 

* * *

 

Blaise wasn't worried, or  _intrigued_ , or spending his nights thinking about it because that would be  _ridiculous_ , and yet –

Pansy wasn't the kind of women to be easily impressed by mere words, nor easily fooled, and usually had a pretty good reading on people.

It unsettled him.

 

* * *

 

It turned out, Pansy was right. (As usual.)

He met up with Nott a couple of times for war matters himself. Nott had somehow managed to convince them into an alliance between Potter and Draco, an enemy's enemy being an ally and all that.

Nott had also turned Potter's bunch into another formidable force in the fight for the throne, the rightful rulership. It irked Blaise that Draco had agreed into an allegiance with Potter, but he also knew that such alliance was necessary if they want to get rid of Riddle first.

And he managed to learn a few more things about Nott during the process.

Blaise was clever, but Nott seemed to outwit him in every turn, even if it was sometimes so subtle that he wouldn't realize until afterwards. Blaise  _hated_  it.

But he would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. He rarely got a chance to spar with someone like this, after all.

It was almost too late when he started suspecting that he wasn't just impressed.

 

* * *

 

It happened, during one night they were drinking wine and discussing politics together on the balcony. The moon shone brightly above them.

"You know, I've always enjoyed these conversations with you," Nott said conversationally, taking a sip from his glass.

"I'm ever so honored to be up to the intelligence standards of yours, Theodore," Blaise said drily.

Nott chuckled, seemingly amused, and Blaise tried not to let his gaze linger on Nott's lips. "You could call me Theo, you know."

"Yes," Blaise shot back. "I know. You've mentioned."

Nott just shrugged. "Fine, then."

Their eyes met for a moment, and something between them seemed to shift. Blaise felt like some kind of tension building up, some kind of unnamed feeling inside his chest that threatened to burst, and he suddenly just wanted to cry.

"I wish we'd met under better circumstances," Nott lamented, sounding almost regretful, and even if things weren't spelt out loud directly, Blaise knew, at that moment, what they were both thinking.

Blaise gazed wistfully at the river in front of them. "It's not as if you'd abandon your loyalty to Potter, would you?"

"Well," Nott said, slowly, "it's not as if you'd leave Malfoy and runaway to somewhere obscure with me if I leave Harry, would you?"

They both knew he wouldn't. Blaise wouldn't let Draco fight this war alone. Just like they both knew Draco and Potter's allegiance wouldn't last after Riddle was defeated.

"Perhaps, some things just aren't mean to be," Blaise stared at some faraway point in the dark night, his voice quiet.

"Perhaps, some people just didn't fight for them hard enough," Nott countered smoothly.

"Perhaps they couldn't," Blaise said, overly sharp.

"Perhaps they couldn't," Nott conceded. He echoed his earlier words in a lower tone, a rare show of emotion flickering through his eyes that Blaise didn't catch, "I wish we'd met under better circumstances."

Blaise wished the same.

He didn't say it out loud, but he thought, that Nott probably knew it anyway.

 

* * *

 

None of the cure seemed to be working Blaise got shot by an arrow laced with poison from one of Riddle's army. It wasn't instantly lethal, but it slowly spread through his body as the time passed, and even as he hated to admit it, there was probably no way of wiggling out of this one.

He just wished that he'd had more time. More time to help Draco defeat Riddle, more time to help Draco into power, more time with Theodore Nott, even if they could never end up together.

Not in this universe anyway. Perhaps, in some other parallel universe, where they'd met under different circumstances, where they weren't on different sides.

He refused to cry.

 

* * *

 

When Blaise could feel that his time was almost up, he insisted on spending his last moments alone and pled for Pansy to make everyone leave. He didn't want to see the sympathy on others' faces, he couldn't bear it. Plus, he was aware that the slow poison spread had made him no longer looked like his younger, more handsome self, and he'd been avoiding people a lot recently because yes, he was just that vain. He'd rather be remembered by his more charming looks than what he looked like in his deathbed.

Apparently, though, Theodore Nott wasn't one to care for what Blaise wanted.

Blaise didn't want to admit it, but it was almost a relief to see Nott showing up, stealthily bypassing the soldiers that Pansy had ordered to guard Blaise's house.

"What have you done with my guards?" Blaise asked, forcing his eyes open.

"Nothing that should concern you," Nott replied, smooth as usual.

"I'm not concerned," Blaise grimaced. "Sorry for not offering you something to drink, I'm afraid I'm not in the best condition right now."

"It's fine," Nott said quietly. There was some sadness to his eyes, and while it wasn't pity, not really, Blaise still found himself looking away.

"So, anything you want to say? Are you here on Potter's behalf, or –"

"My own," Nott cut across Blaise firmly. "I'm –" he hesitated, "worried about you. Ever since I heard about Yaxley's poisoned arrow."

"Worried," Blaise repeated slowly, "really? Wouldn't my death be beneficial for Potter and his army in the long term?"

Nott looked uncomfortable, a rare sight. "It might be," he finally allowed, "but as I've said, I'm here as myself tonight, not as Harry's adviser. This – isn't going to be beneficial for me."

"Not on a personal level, at least," Blaise couldn't stopped himself saying. Nott stared at him, long and hard, but didn't deny anything.

"You know which side I'm on," he said, quietly.

"As you know mine," Blaise gave him a weak smile as Nott smiled back wistfully. Blaise closed his eyes, and asked, trying and failing at feigning casualness, "You'll miss me?"

"Yes," came Nott's quick and sure reply. "Forever. Forever and a day."

Blaise's mouth quirked to one side. "I'm honored. Really. Eternally grateful."

Nott frowned, "I'm serious."

Blaise stopped a bit, and opened his eyes to look at Nott again. "I know," he finally said, and surprised himself by saying something he'd never thought he would say to Nott, "thank you. Honestly."

Nott's eyes were filled with raw emotion. He raised a hand and gently brushed it across Blaise's forehead.

It was the first time they'd ever touched. Blaise really wished that this could've happened sooner, rather than just moments before the poison fully killed him.

"Bye, Theodore," he croaked.

"Theo, please," Nott corrected him.

Blaise hesitated, before summoning the last bit of energy to give Nott a cheeky smile, "Fine … Theo, then."

He never got the chance to hear the reply.

 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](http://ff-sunset-oasis.tumblr.com)


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